This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311426835.9, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202322927999.1, both filed on October 30, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present application relates to the technical field of air conditioning systems, and in particular, to an air outlet panel, an air outlet assembly, and an air conditioner outdoor unit.

Under increasingly stringent energy-saving and emission-reduction requirements, it is necessary to further increase the air volume of the outdoor unit without increasing the overall noise of the outdoor unit. The increase in air volume can only be achieved by increasing the diameters of the air impeller and the air guide ring. Currently, the air volume of outdoor units in the industry has reached a certain bottleneck. Existing panels of air conditioner outdoor units are usually provided with an air guide ring to guide the airflow of the outdoor unit, and a grille is disposed at the air outlet of the air guide ring. When airflow passes through the existing air guide ring, the airflow velocity is relatively low and the noise is relatively high, thereby increasing the unnecessary power consumption of the outdoor unit.

The main purpose of the present application is to provide an air outlet panel, an air outlet assembly, and an air conditioner outdoor unit, aiming to solve the problems of high noise and high power consumption of existing air outlet panels.

To achieve the above purpose, the present application proposes an air outlet panel, the air outlet panel has an outer side and an inner side opposite to the outer side, a recessed area is formed on the outer side of the air outlet panel, an air outlet hole is provided through a local area of the recessed area, and the air outlet hole communicates with the recessed area to form an air discharge channel.

In an embodiment, the air outlet hole is formed with an annular outward flange protruding from the inner side of the air outlet panel, and an aperture of the annular outward flange is at least partially gradually increased in an inward direction.

In an embodiment, the air discharge channel comprises a flow collecting section, a flow guiding section, and a flow expanding section arranged sequentially from inside to outside, the flow collecting section and the flow guiding section are formed in the air outlet hole, and the flow expanding section is formed in the recessed area; and
an aperture of the flow collecting section is greater than an aperture of the flow guiding section.

In an embodiment, a circular arc transition is provided between the flow guiding section and the flow collecting section.

In an embodiment, in a direction from inside to outside, a length of the flow collecting section is A, a length of the flow guiding section is B, and a length of the flow expanding section is C, where 65 mm ≤ A+B+C ≤ 80 mm.

In an embodiment, 10% ≤ C/(A+B+C) ≤ 20%.

In an embodiment, a cross-sectional area of the air outlet hole is S1, and a cross-sectional area of the recessed area is S2, where 20% ≤ (S2-S1)/S1 ≤ 40%.

In an embodiment, the recessed area is configured in a square shape, the air outlet hole is configured in a circular shape, and a cross-sectional center of the recessed area coincides with a center of the circular hole.

The present application further provides an air outlet assembly, comprising:

• a housing provided with a mounting opening;
• an air outlet panel mounted in the mounting opening; and
• a grille provided on the outer side of the air outlet panel and corresponding to the recessed area;
• the air outlet panel has an outer side and an inner side opposite to the outer side, a recessed area is formed on the outer side of the air outlet panel, an air outlet hole is provided through a local area of the recessed area, and the air outlet hole communicates with the recessed area to form an air discharge channel.

The present application further provides an air conditioner outdoor unit comprising an air outlet assembly. The air outlet assembly comprises:

• a housing provided with a mounting opening;
• an air outlet panel mounted in the mounting opening; and
• a grille provided on the outer side of the air outlet panel and corresponding to the recessed area;
• the air outlet panel has an outer side and an inner side opposite to the outer side, a recessed area is formed on the outer side of the air outlet panel, an air outlet hole is provided through a local area of the recessed area, and the air outlet hole communicates with the recessed area to form an air discharge channel.

In the technical solution provided by the present application, when the fan operates to supply air toward the air outlet hole of the air outlet panel, the airflow first passes through the air outlet hole, and then the airflow located on the periphery of the air outlet hole passes through the recessed area before being discharged from the grille. Since the airflow flows from the air outlet hole to the recessed area, and the cross-sectional area of the recessed area is larger than that of the air outlet hole, airflow backflow is reduced, thereby increasing the air volume. For the same flow rate, the airflow velocity at the air outlet hole is higher, and when the airflow flows to the recessed area, the velocity decreases. By providing the recessed area communicating with the air outlet hole at the air outlet end of the air outlet hole, the airflow corresponding to the recessed area can convert the originally local static pressure into dynamic pressure in the area surrounding the air outlet hole, thereby reducing the air discharge resistance of the airflow, lowering the aerodynamic noise at the air outlet, and reducing power consumption, so as to solve the problems of high noise and high power consumption of existing air outlet panels.

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or in the related art, the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments or the related art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative labor.

• FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic view of an embodiment of an air outlet panel in an air outlet assembly provided by the present application.
• FIG. 2 is a front schematic view of the air outlet panel in FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic view taken along line X-X in FIG. 2.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the area of the air outlet hole and the area of the recessed area of the air outlet panel in FIG. 2.
• FIG. 5 is a front schematic view of the air outlet assembly provided by the present application.
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view taken along line Y-Y in FIG. 5.

Reference sign Name Reference sign Name 100 air outlet panel 11 flow collecting section 200 air outlet assembly 12 flow guiding section 1a recessed area 13 flow expanding section 1b air outlet hole 10 housing 101 outward flange 20 grille

The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of the present application.

It should be noted that if directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are involved in the embodiments of the present application, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement status, etc. between components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

In addition, if descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. are involved in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and should not be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such feature. In addition, the meaning of "and/or" appearing throughout the text comprises three parallel schemes. Taking "A and/or B" as an example, it comprises scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme where both A and B are satisfied. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but must be based on what can be implemented by those of ordinary skill in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope claimed by the present application.

Under increasingly stringent energy-saving and emission-reduction requirements, it is necessary to further increase the air volume of the outdoor unit without increasing the overall noise of the outdoor unit. The increase in air volume can only be achieved by increasing the diameters of the air impeller and the air guide ring. Currently, the air volume of outdoor units in the industry has reached a certain bottleneck. Existing panels of air conditioner outdoor units are usually provided with an air guide ring to guide the airflow of the outdoor unit, and a grille is disposed at the air outlet of the air guide ring. When airflow passes through the existing air guide ring, the airflow velocity is relatively low and the noise is relatively high, thereby increasing the unnecessary power consumption of the outdoor unit.

In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides an air outlet panel. FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic view of an embodiment of an air outlet panel in the air outlet assembly provided by the present application; FIG. 2 is a front schematic view of the air outlet panel in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic view taken along line X-X in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the area of the air outlet hole and the area of the recessed area of the air outlet panel in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a front schematic view of the air outlet assembly provided by the present application; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view taken along line Y-Y in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the air outlet panel 100 has an outer side and an inner side opposite to the outer side. A recessed area 1a is formed on the outer side of the air outlet panel 100. An air outlet hole 1b is provided through a local area of the recessed area 1a. The air outlet hole 1b communicates with the recessed area 1a to form an air discharge channel.

In an embodiment, the inner side and the outer side of the air outlet panel 100 are defined relative to the flow direction of the airflow. When the airflow flows, the side of the air outlet panel 100 where air enters is the inner side, and the side where air exits is the outer side. Therefore, the recessed area 1a is provided at the air outlet end of the air discharge channel through which the airflow passes.

It should be noted that the recessed area 1a may be configured as a groove with a regular shape or an irregular groove, and the bottom wall of the groove may be configured as a flat surface or a curved surface. The recessed area 1a may be configured in other possible shapes. The specific configuration may be determined according to actual conditions. As long as the air outlet hole 1b can communicate with the bottom wall of the groove, it falls within the scope of the present application, and this embodiment of the specification does not limit it.

In an embodiment, the air outlet hole 1b is provided through a local area of the recessed area 1a, that is, the surface of the remaining area of the recessed area 1a, i.e., the surface of the recessed area 1a corresponding to the periphery of the air outlet hole 1b, together with the inner wall surface of the air outlet hole 1b, defines the air discharge channel. Thus, the cross-sectional area of the recessed area 1a is necessarily greater than the cross-sectional area of the air outlet hole 1b.

In the technical solution provided by the present application, when the fan operates to supply air toward the air outlet hole 1b of the air outlet panel 100, the airflow first passes through the air outlet hole 1b, and then the airflow located on the periphery of the air outlet hole 1b passes through the recessed area 1a before being discharged from the grille 20. Since the airflow flows from the air outlet hole 1b to the recessed area 1a, and the cross-sectional area of the recessed area 1a is larger than that of the air outlet hole 1b, airflow backflow is reduced, thereby increasing the air volume. For the same flow rate, the airflow velocity at the air outlet hole 1b is higher, and when the airflow flows to the recessed area 1a, the velocity decreases. By providing the recessed area 1a communicating with the air outlet hole 1b at the air outlet end of the air outlet hole 1b, the airflow corresponding to the recessed area 1a can convert the originally local static pressure into dynamic pressure in the area surrounding the air outlet hole 1b, thereby reducing the air discharge resistance of the airflow, lowering the aerodynamic noise at the air outlet, and reducing power consumption, so as to solve the problems of high noise and high power consumption of the existing air outlet panel 100.

Moreover, in the related art, the cross-sectional area of the air outlet hole 1b on a conventional air outlet panel 100 does not change at the air outlet end, resulting in a relatively large amount of airflow backflow, thereby making the delivered air volume relatively small.

In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the air outlet hole 1b is configured in the form of a flanged hole, so that the air outlet hole 1b is formed with an annular outward flange 101 protruding from the inner side of the air outlet panel 100. An aperture of the annular outward flange 101 is at least partially gradually increased in an inward direction. With such a configuration, in the area corresponding to the air outlet hole 1b, the opening at the air inlet end is larger than the opening at the air outlet end. Therefore, when the fan exhausts air, more airflow can be collected at the air inlet end of the air outlet hole 1b to concentrate the airflow. At this time, the airflow velocity in the air outlet hole 1b is relatively high.

It should be noted that, in an embodiment, the annular outward flange 101 gradually increases step by step in the inward direction, so that during the flow of airflow toward the air outlet end of the air discharge channel, the air resistance is stable and does not fluctuate, thereby affecting the stability of the airflow.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, in an embodiment, the air discharge channel comprises a flow collecting section 11, a flow guiding section 12, and a flow expanding section 13 arranged sequentially from inside to outside. The flow collecting section 11 and the flow guiding section 12 are formed in the air outlet hole 1b, and the flow expanding section 13 is formed in the recessed area 1a. An aperture of the flow collecting section 11 is greater than an aperture of the flow guiding section 12. Thus, more airflow is collected in the flow collecting section 11 to concentrate the airflow, which then flows through the flow guiding section 12 to the flow expanding section 13 with a larger cross-sectional area.

In an embodiment, a circular arc transition is provided between the flow guiding section 12 and the flow collecting section 11. The circular arc transition can more smoothly change the direction of the airflow, reducing wind resistance; the circular arc transition can avoid the formation of vortices, reduce noise, and can make the airflow pass through the channel more uniformly, thereby improving the stability and reliability of aerodynamic performance.

It should be noted that the flow expanding section 13 is formed in the recessed area 1a. The length of the flow expanding section 13 in the inner-outer direction depends on the depth of the recessed area 1a, and the size of the cross-section of the flow expanding section 13 depends on the projected area of the recessed area 1a in the inner-outer direction.

In an embodiment, in a direction from inside to outside, a length of the flow collecting section 11 is A, a length of the flow guiding section 12 is B, and a length of the flow expanding section 13 is C, where 65 mm ≤ A+B+C ≤ 80 mm. With such a configuration, the compressive strength of the air outlet panel 100 is ensured, and the possibility of tearing the air outlet panel 100 during manufacturing is avoided. Since the air outlet panel 100 is generally a plastic part, drafting is required during manufacturing. When the distance of the air discharge channel in the inner-outer direction is too large, i.e., A+B+C is greater than 80 mm, due to friction between the plastic part and the mold cavity, stress concentration will occur on the surface of the plastic part. If there are weak points on the surface or inside of the plastic part (e.g., gates, ejector pin marks, etc.), the stress in these areas will exceed the strength of the material, leading to tearing.

When the distance of the air discharge channel in the inner-outer direction is too small, i.e., A+B+C is less than 65 mm, the thickness of the air outlet panel 100 is relatively thin. When the air outlet panel 100 is installed on an air conditioner outdoor unit, under lowtemperature conditions in winter, the condenser is prone to frosting or even icing. During the operation of the fan, the air supply volume of the fan will decrease. However, in the present application, the air volume attenuation of the air discharge channel corresponding to the flow expanding section 13 is smaller, thereby increasing the compressive strength of the air outlet panel 100.

In an embodiment, the flow collecting section 11, the flow guiding section 12, and the flow expanding section 13 further satisfy the following relationship: 10% ≤ C/(A+B+C) ≤ 20%. When the length proportion of the flow expanding section 13 is too large, i.e., C/(A+B+C) is greater than 20%, it will lead to a risk of tearing during demolding. When the length proportion of the flow expanding section 13 is too small, i.e., C/(A+B+C) is less than 10%, the increase in air volume is relatively small.

In an embodiment, a cross-sectional area of the air outlet hole 1b is S1, and a cross-sectional area of the recessed area 1a is S2. In FIG. 4 of the specification, the recessed area 1a represents the area of the entire square region, and S2-S1 represents the area of the recessed area 1a projected onto the air outlet panel 100 in the inner-outer direction, where 20% ≤ (S2-S1)/S1 ≤ 40%. With such a configuration, both the aesthetic appearance of the air outlet panel 100 and an effective increase in air volume are ensured. When (S2-S1)/S1 is greater than 40%, the area of the flow expanding section is too large, resulting in poor aesthetics and higher manufacturing costs. When (S2-S1)/S1 is less than 20%, the antibackflow effect of the recessed area 1a is degraded, and the improvement in air volume becomes poor.

Specifically, referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, in an embodiment, the recessed area 1a is configured in a square shape, and the air outlet hole 1b is configured in a circular shape, where a cross-sectional center of the recessed area 1a coincides with a center of the circular hole. Thus, multiple triangular-like recessed areas 1a on the periphery of the circular air outlet hole 1b can be symmetrical left-right or up-down with respect to the vertical centerline or horizontal centerline of the air outlet hole 1b. Of course, the recessed area 1a is not limited to the above shape. The recessed area 1a may also be configured as a concentric circle with a diameter larger than that of the air outlet hole 1b. Of course, the shapes of the recessed area 1a and the air outlet hole 1b are not limited to the above examples. Those skilled in the art may make other modifications under the inspiration of the technical essence of this embodiment of the specification, but as long as the functions and effects achieved are the same as or similar to those of this embodiment of the specification, they should be covered within the scope of this embodiment of the specification.

The present application further provides an air outlet assembly 200. Referring to FIG. 5 to FIG. 6, the air outlet assembly 200 comprises a housing 10, an air outlet panel 100, and a grille 20. The housing 10 has a mounting opening; the air outlet panel 100 is mounted in the mounting opening; the grille 20 is provided on the outer side of the air outlet panel 100 and corresponds to the recessed area 1a. The air outlet assembly 200 further comprises a fan and the like. Since the air outlet assembly 200 comprises the air outlet panel 100, the specific structure of the air outlet panel 100 refers to the above embodiments. Since the air outlet panel 100 of the present air outlet assembly 200 adopts all the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

In an embodiment, the air outlet assembly 200 may be an air outlet appliance such as a fan, a heater fan, an air conditioner, etc., or may be a heat dissipation device, etc. This embodiment of the specification does not limit it.

In an embodiment, when the outer contour of the grille 20 is square, the four corners of the grille 20 also have air outlet grilles arranged opposite to the flow expanding section 13 for air discharge. The originally local static pressure is converted into dynamic pressure, the air discharge resistance of the airflow is reduced, and the aerodynamic noise at the air outlet can be reduced by about 1 dB.

The present application further provides an air conditioner outdoor unit. The air conditioner outdoor unit comprises the aforementioned air outlet assembly 200. The air conditioner outdoor unit further comprises a fan and the like. Since the air conditioner outdoor unit comprises the air outlet assembly 200, the specific structure of the air outlet assembly 200 refers to the above embodiments. Since the air outlet assembly 200 of the present outdoor unit of the air conditioner adopts all the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it at least has all the effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

The above descriptions are only optional embodiments of the present application, and thus do not limit the scope of the present application. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present application under the inventive concept of the present application, or direct/indirect applications in other related technical fields, are comprised within the scope of the present application.